Transmasculine

Q: What is the difference between transmasculine and FTM?

FTM ('female-to-male') is older and specifically refers to full transition. Transmasculine is more recent and broader and includes non-binary pathways. It describes a direction, not necessarily an endpoint. The umbrella includes trans men, but also some non-binary AFAB people and people who use testosterone or undergo a mastectomy without identifying as men.

Q: Do you have to want hormones or surgery to be transmasculine?

No. The term describes the direction of someone's identity and expression, not medical steps. Someone can be transmasculine without identifying fully as a 'man' or undergoing medical transition. Medical steps should not follow from identity as though they were a logical conclusion: hormones and surgery are invasive and partly irreversible and require thorough consideration.

Q: Which pronouns do transmasculine people use?

Often 'he', sometimes 'they' or a combination of both. This relates to the breadth of the term. Transmasculine includes trans men, but also non-binary AFAB people who move toward the masculine without identifying fully as 'men'. The term describes a direction rather than an endpoint, so pronoun use varies.

Q: How many transmasculine people detransition?

There is no fixed figure: the numbers vary by study and cohort. Recent Western studies show substantial percentages; see the page on detransition statistics. The number of AFAB people seeking trans-related care has risen sharply since around 2015, especially among adolescents. A well-known example of detransition is Keira Bell, who took the Tavistock clinic to court.

A transmasculine flag with blue stripes — Image: Transandrosupport, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

'Transmasculine' (Dutch: 'transmasculien') is an umbrella term for people assigned female at birth (AFAB) who move in a masculine direction—in identity, expression, social role or medical transition. The label is broader than transgender man: it generally also includes non-binary AFAB people who move toward the masculine.

What does it mean?

Transmasculine describes a direction, not necessarily an endpoint. Someone can be transmasculine without identifying fully as a 'man' or undergoing medical transition. The umbrella includes trans men, some non-binary AFAB people, and people who use testosterone or undergo a mastectomy without identifying as men.

Distinctions and overlap

The term overlaps with FTM ('female-to-male'), which is older and more specific to full transition. Transmasculine is more recent, broader and includes non-binary pathways. Demiboy can be one specific way of identifying.

Social and practical context

The percentage of AFAB people seeking trans-related care has risen sharply since around 2015, especially among adolescents. Medical pathways involve the usual considerations around hormones and surgery: they are invasive, partly irreversible and associated with a substantial rate of detransition. For minors, the Dutch Protocol is no longer an undisputed framework; internationally, care for this group is undergoing revision—see the Cass Review. The story of Keira Bell, who took the Tavistock clinic to court after detransitioning, is featured on ikbentrans.nl.

Critical perspectives

Critics point to the sharp rise in AFAB referrals to gender clinics. This likely reflects a mix of factors: longstanding underlying dysphoria, social influence through online media, and comorbid conditions (autism, eating disorders, depression). There is no single, uniform explanation. A thorough differential assessment is essential; medical steps should not follow from identity as though they were a logical conclusion.

What is the difference between transmasculine and FTM?

Do you have to want hormones or surgery to be transmasculine?

Which pronouns do transmasculine people use?

How many transmasculine people detransition?

Sources

Coleman, E. et al. (2022). WPATH Standards of Care, Version 8. DOI
Cass, Hilary (2024). Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People. NHS England. Tekst
Littman, L. (2018). "Parent reports of adolescents and young adults perceived to show signs of a rapid onset of gender dysphoria." PLOS ONE, 13(8). DOI
Kaltiala, R. et al. (2015). "Two years of gender identity service for minors: overrepresentation of natal girls." Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 9. DOI
Vandenbussche, E. (2022). "Detransition-Related Needs and Support." Journal of Homosexuality, 69(9). DOI
Shrier, Abigail (2020). Irreversible Damage. Regnery.